Video: What CINEMA 4D Lite can't do

As we've seen, Cinema 4D Lite is incredibly full featured for a free application, but there are a few things it can't do, and this movie is to highlight those. I've opened Cineware_Comparison_Chart.PDF from the project files folder, Chapter One. And here we have a document that was made by Maxon and highlights the differences between the different versions of Cinema 4D, those being, Prime, Visualize, Broadcast, Studio, and Lite. Lite is most similar to Prime but there are some things that are missing in Cinema 4D Lite that aren't in Prime.

Watch the Online Video Course Up and Running with CINEMA 4D Lite for After Effects

8h 57mBeginnerAug 28, 2013Updated Jan 15, 2015

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Intimidated by 3D modeling packages? Dip a toe in the water with CINEMA 4D (C4D) Lite, a slimmed down version of CINEMA 4D included with After Effects CC. Motion graphics designer Angie Taylor shows you how to build a complete sequence in C4D Lite, progressing from initial object modeling, to animation, lighting, camera rigging, texturing, and final render. Plus, learn to animate text, create random movement with wiggle expressions, track cameras in live-action footage to add new 3D elements, and light your scene. Angie also round-trips the project files to After Effects for visual effects and color correction. With over 100 videos, this course allows you to explore almost every aspect of 3D motion graphics creation, within this accessible introductory tool.

What CINEMA 4D Lite can't do

As we've seen, Cinema 4D Lite isincredibly full featured for a free application, butthere are a few things it can't do, and this movie is to highlight those.I've opened Cineware_Comparison_Chart.PDF from theproject files folder, Chapter One.And here we have a document that was made by Maxon andhighlights the differences between the differentversions of Cinema 4D, those being,Prime, Visualize, Broadcast, Studio, and Lite.Lite is most similar to Prime but there are some thingsthat are missing in Cinema 4D Lite that aren't in Prime.

The Python C++ API, for one thing.But most things are supported, it's cross platform 64bit architecture, open GL support and Coffee is also supported.Now, if we go down to Interface and Workflow,much of it is the same between the applications.Couple of things to note, XRef external instancingand referencing system isn't supported in Cinema 4D Lite.And sadly, 3DConnexion 3DMouse support isn't in Cinema 4D Lite.

And I really miss my 3D mouse when I'm working in the Lite version.Other things, no study or display inthe Viewport and Doodle Viewport annotation toolis also missing.When we get to Cameras, most of it supports itexcept for Motion Camera, Morph Camera, and the Camera Calibrator.And then, if we go down to productcomparisons for Data Exchange and Format Support, you'llsee that much of it is the same except for when it comes to exchange files.After Effects, Nuke, Motion, Final Cut Pro, Digital Fusion, and Shake,external data support isn't supported.

Couple of other options here are missing including BodyPaint 3D Exchange.However, you'll notice that all theimportant things are supported via Cineware.So although you can't export and save with 3D data using the old AECfile format, you can do all the multi-pass compositing via Cineware anyway.So that really gets around the problem.In terms of modeling, pretty much everything is there,except for the Polygonal modeling tools with N-gon support.

Also, the modeling generators, for example Metaball, Boolean,Symmetry, et cetera, when it comes to modeling tools,nearly everything is supported with the exception ofPolygonal modeling tools with N-gon support as you cansee there.And there are also a couple of things to note about the modeling generators.Some are import only and it lists the ones that are affected down here at the bottom.So, when it comes to deformers, we're pretty much all supported.

You'll notice that they are import only,these ones, Bend, Twist, Bulge, Shear, Taper, etcetera.Displacement CollisionCamera, Smoothing, Spline, Wrap and Shrinkwrap deformers are not included.But pretty much the modeling is pretty much there.Except for, of course, Sculpting.There's no Sculpting features in Cinema 4D Lite.In terms of materials and texturing, pretty much everything is supported.There's a couple of things at the end again,Sub-polygon displacement, Sub-surface Scattering and some of the moreadvanced features of material options are not available, but pretty much everythingthat the average user would need is there. There's no UV editing in Lite at all.

In terms of lighting, pretty much everything issupported, with the exception of IES Light Data.No support for that. Down at the bottom there.In terms of Rendering, you're limited to a resolution of800 by 600, but of course that can be rendered ina bigger comp in After Effects, which we'll find out about later.You'll see the object buffers and multipass output are onlysupported during the Cineware output using the AE Cinema 4D layer.

But they are supported.Global Illumination is not supported.And the Physical Renderer with Physical Camera is not supported.NoStereo Rendering either.The Depth of Field and Vector Motion Blur posteffects are done through passes so they can be supported.There's no Cineman, Renderman compliant bridge, no Sketch and Toon, noPyrocluster and no Physical Sky but everything else is there.Okay, where are we now?Picture Viewer is all supported,Watermark, Render Queue Batch Rendering andNetwork Rendering Clients not supported.

In terms of animation, pretty fully featured.No Cappucino is the one exception, and no Keyframe Reduction, Keyframe Baking.Or any of those assistants that will helpyou with the keyframing, they tend to be missing.And no ASCII animation support.So, but pretty much everything else is supported.There are a couple of little asterisks on there.Which you'll see there's no Python Node includedin Expresso, but Expresso's fully supported apart from that.And if we go back up to here, you'll notice the timeline.

You can have up to four timeline windows withcustomizable track display and dot sheet of Curve View modes.But, you're only allowed that on one timeline window only.Okay, a few things missing down here.If wego back up a Dynamic is missing completely.There's no Dynamic tools in Cinema 4D Lite.And in terms of MoGraph, there aren't any MoGraph tools, but ifyou register, you will get the Fracture object, and some Effectors free.

So they only become activated when you register the fullversion and we'll cover that in one of the tutorials.In terms of character animationtools, I'm afraid, they are missing too, but you can still animate your characters.You just have to do it by hand instead of using someof the great character animation tools that are in Studio and Broadcast.The Hair Simulation and Rendering system is missing too.And then, in terms of content, there are presets includedbut none of the advanced presets and demo scenes areincluded that you get with Studio as you would expect.

And no Broadcast Library, no Visualization Library, but you haveall the presets that you probably need to get started.You have Materials, Camera setups, Lighting setups.So pretty much everything you need, but that just highlights someof of the things that are missing from Cinema 4D Lite.If you want to download your own copy ofthis document or send a download link to someone,it is available on the Maxon website, but there's acopy in the Chapter One Folder for you to look at.

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Q: This course was updated on 01/15/2015. What changed?

A: We updated movies in chapter 5, 10, and 12, and added a new set of
exercise files to make the course compatible with the latest versions of
After Effects CC (2014.1) and CINEWARE. Watch the "Checking out the new
CINEWARE features with After Effects CC 2014.1" movie for an overview
of the changes.

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